Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Moe Norman 2000 Clinic Parts 1-3

As many of you may know, I'm a huge Moe Norman fan. Below are parts 1-3 of a clinic Moe put on in Orlando in 2000. In this video Moe says he is hitting a 7-iron about 140 yards and that gives the concept that he 'didn't hit it long.' Of course this was shot back in 2000 when the ball didn't travel as long as the balls today and he was also 70 years old at the time.

I believe Moe was a 'swinger' as he used horizontal hinge and talks a lot about using centrifigul force and passive hands. So if you're into hitting, make sure you differentiate that Moe's 'swinger' technique may have some components of his swing may not suit you.

I think that there's 2 things that Moe says that are quite brilliant in part 2 of the video series. One is something that applies to all golfers, the other applies to the swinger. See if somebody can guess what I'm thinking.

I think both hitters & swingers want to accelerate through the ball but don't think Moe's feeling of grabbing the flagstick with his right hand is good for hitters. Also, although noone should focus on the top of the ball, not sure hitters want to focus on hammering a tack on the center of the back of the ball since they aren't coming down the line. Hogan wanted to hit the rear inside corner of the sugar cube. That's three guesses though, I know. Since you use an aiming point, I'm guessing you don't focus on the back of the ball at all so my guess is the first two.

That wasn't a clinic, it was a show! What a character! I'm not convinced he's a pure swinger - I detect a lot of right arm in his action - he alludes to using the right arm in video 5 when somebody asks where he gets the power from (assuming I heard it right). I like his comment that too many golfers are 100mph going back and 10mph going forward which is one of the points you are probably alluding to.

#2 The moderator point out Moe's right leg acts as a brace that he pivots into, keeping his weight balanced on the inside of his right foot, "setting the stage" for his forward move.... the most consistent swing in golf. I believe this is is the heart of what Sevam 1 eloquently describes( in more detail) in his "Secret in the Dirt" e-book.

Macon nailed it. A simple thought of 'the fastest part of your swing being the follow thru' I think is great for anybody. Technically that's impossible, but still a good swing thought IMO. I also liked that 'I feel like I'm reaching out to grab the flagstick comment.'

"Moe Norman has all the trademarks of a hitter, yet he is a swinger. He even talks like a hitter, yet his photos show a full roll duel horizontal hinging after impact. He looks a lot like Hogan but his trick was to swing on almost a shoulder plane. He almost swings on a true non-shifting swing plane. This may very well hold the secret to his amazing accuracy and could be the swing of the future. It is the simplest swing I have ever seen. He eliminates so many unnecessary movements it’s easy to see why it repeats so beautifully"John Erickson

I knew it was going to be the fastest part of the swing was right after impact, either you blogged it here or it was on a thread somewhere. In fact it generated a very lively discussion if my memory is correct. I think that is John Erickson swing thought as well.

A friend I met and I used to talk to quite a bit told me about playing with Moe once on a pretty difficult track back in '85 in Ontario and said Moe shot something like a 66 and didn't line up any of his putts and just missed them and really putted awful in his opinion and said that if he was putting, an average putter for an amateur, Moe would've shot 60 with ease. Anyway, the one thing he insisted upon that Moe was pretty long off the tee and like Sevam says in his book, he was hitting it 270 back then off the tee at the age of 55 with a persimmon driver and a balata ball. He probably didn't hit it 305 in the clinic, but probably hit it further than 99% of the 70 year olds on earth. I just get really annoyed when people say Moe wasn't long because they are taking that off a guy that was doing a clinic at the age of 70. Also the people who say Moe 'only hit it straight.' Gee, he hit it dead straight time after time. Sounds like a fantastic problem. Of course, this clinic shows Moe drawing it, hooking it, fading it, big fade all on command and on target.

Physicists are showing now that it's impossible to actually have more clubhead speed after impact, but the concept is a good thing. And that's just it, you can't accomplish making the follow thru the 'fastest' part of the swing without a strong pivot.

IMO, he's the greatest ballstriker that ever lived. But it goes to show you that while ballstriking is important, there are other huge factors in making a successful PGA Tour golfer.